Local gems, great eats in Roseville
Shop Local and Stand Together
We are excited to welcome You Me Food Review as guest contributors at The Roseville Reader today. Below are some of their favorite places to grab a bite or a beverage around Roseville.
This February is "Shop Local, Stand Together Month" in Minnesota. Sometimes the local gems we have near us can go unnoticed, so we thought it would be helpful to throw together a little list of some of our favorite orders from a few of the many local places hiding around our city!
Makwa Coffee
2805 Hamline Ave N
This locally owned community gathering spot is known for its excellent selection of delicious coffee and tea concoctions. Their signature drink is the Ziigwan–a delicious caramel cold brew coffee with oat milk and a hint of maple. As unique as that sounds, they’ve got another tasty drink that we also love: The Dark Cloud. This is an earl grey latte with vanilla and lavender. Order this one, sit down, and chat with a neighbor or warm up in front of the fire. It takes a few minutes to steep, but it’s worth the wait.
St. Paul Bagelry
1702 Lexington Ave N
St. Paul Bagelry is near the top of our list for Roseville spots we haunt. Family run and locally owned, this place makes their bagels fresh every morning. The bagels are twice as good as anywhere else (and we mean this literally), because they top BOTH sides of the bagels! The cream cheese is also fresh made, and you can taste this freshness in every bite! If we are there, we are definitely splitting our usual: The Al Green (egg, Swiss, all the veggies) on a toasted sesame bagel (but hold the onion) and a toasted cinnamon sugar bagel with strawberry cream cheese. It’s a perfect pairing of sweet and savory, and one of our favorite ways to start the day!
Mi-Sant
1881 MN-36
This family-owned bakery popped up in the old Bakers Square just five years ago and it seems like business has been booming ever since. Their two main dishes are Banh-Mi and croissants (hence the name Mi-Sant). For us, though, our number one pick is the Ham and Cheese Breakfast Croissant. Their croissants are divine, and this sandwich is perfection.
Mudslingers
2154 Lexington Ave N
When Mudslingers first opened, we didn’t have high hopes that they’d make it. An independent coffee shop right across from a busy gas station? We thought the competition would be too tough. WOW were we wrong! If you’re near B and Lexington any morning of the week, you know how wrong we were! Our go to order: whatever the special is for the week. Each week a unique medium drink is only $5! It’s always a really good deal, and the ever-changing special selection is deliciously unique!
La Tapatia
2730 E Snelling Service Dr
This family-owned restaurant has grown into a sizable spot since it first began in 2016. You might remember it as the little place over by the Gold Eagle Cleaners on Larpenteur. For the last five years or so they’ve been in their roomier and swankier current location. It’s possible that our go-to order for this joint is one of the simplest dishes they have on their menu. We are head over heels about their tostadas. Simple fried homemade tortillas covered in refried beans, and topped with tomato, lettuce, avocado, cotija, and crema. It’s not glamorous, but it sure is delicious!
Lisu’s Thai Taste
2575 Fairview Ave N
If you grew up in Roseville, Lisu’s is where the Saints Roller Skating Center was back in the 1980’s. Now the spot is near the Petco and Play It Again Sports. The first thing we loved about Lisu’s was their sauces. The sauce for the cream cheese wontons, the sauce for the spring rolls—both so delicious. We like their Pad Thai (which is even better the next day), and their Massaman Curry is delightfully hearty, but our absolute favorite dish here is the Thai Basil Fried Rice. You get to choose your heat level (we like mild+), so there’s no worry about it being too hot. Their portions are fantastic—perfect for dinner tonight and lunch tomorrow!
Baldamar
1642 County Road B2 W
Last—but definitely not least—Baldamar, outside Rosedale. This locally-owned spot, best known for its steak and unparalleled customer service, also has a great happy hour! From 2-4 Monday-Friday, 11-3 Saturday, and all day Sunday, you can enjoy a variety of reasonably priced appetizers large enough to count as a meal! Our fave: lobster sliders. They have large chunks of real lobster and the taste is great. We also have another favorite order, but it’s not on the happy hour menu. It’s an appetizer called Bread Is Life. A salted, twice-baked, locally-made baguette served with a selection of freshly crafted butters and chimichurri sauce. Bread is life, indeed!
These are just a few of the many locally owned spots in our city. We’re so lucky to have so many options right here in Roseville! For us it’s easy to Shop Local and Stand Together!
Amy McPartlin and Susan Rogers are the Roseville duo behind You Me Food Review. They try out locally owned restaurants around the Twin Cities and beyond and share their playful energy and joy of food with viewers on social media. Find them on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @YouMeFoodReview.
Naomi Krueger
